Audio Version Of The Blog – 05.15.12

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The Ripe Fruits Of The Convention

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: After the convention I have a feeling that it was all like a dream, and it’s difficult to realize what happened. How would you sum up the results of the convention?

Answer: This is not easy. If you had known Rabash, you would know how closed he was, concealing himself and not wishing to give any explanations besides the most necessary ones. Yet it is clear that he wanted to give as much as possible to his students, since it is written, “A cow wishes to feed more than the calf wishes to suckle.”

But the problem is the student’s readiness level. The teacher cannot give him an “unripe fruit” since instead of being help, this will harm him and bring him to a halt, a descent, confusion, and then it will take him a long time and great efforts to get out of this state. Everyone will pay dearly for that—both the teacher and the student, as well as those who have to unite with him into one system. This is a very complex calculation.

That is why it is written, “Raise a lad in his own way.” That is to say, the teacher should not give to the student according to the student’s infantile demand, “Give me!” But should do so correctly and deliberately, as befits his level of development.

Clearly, this constantly evokes pressure in the relationship between the teacher and the students. They are shouting to the teacher, “Give to us!” They don’t understand that he can only give them the method but not the actual fulfillment. They will have to receive the fulfillment themselves by realizing this method upon themselves.

Therefore, some people do not think that they are advancing well. Some cannot justify this method and perceive it. Or they might even understand it with their mind, but are not ready to agree with it in their heart. As a result, they start to disregard the teacher, the method, and the sources. And nothing can be done about it—that’s how life is.

I think that we already overcame very difficult stages, and whoever has stayed after this, out of the thousands of people who have gone through here, will go forward. And whoever left might still come back. We are waiting for everyone, the whole world, to join us.

But in the future there won’t be a choice either: all new levels will always be revealed from the side of the vessels, empty desires. Therefore, you must only strictly carry out the advice of the sources and teacher, and after realizing this advice you will receive answers and fulfillment yourself! Fulfillment cannot come from above to an empty place, if there is no vessel.

Let us hope that we have now gained a better understanding of these principles and the order of our work. Many new people took part in the Convention, who do not have the experience we do yet. But by tuning into the common unity, they will be able to learn these principles quickly, just like any new generation relies on the experience of the previous one and receives from it. And we will be happy to give them everything we have so that by tuning in to our world group, they will immediately become just as experienced and knowledgeable as us, and even more so.
[77945]
From the 1st part of the Daily Kabbalah Lesson 5/15/12, Writings of Rabash

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Three Conditions For The Revelation Of The Light

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Under what condition can we demand, draw, and reveal the force of the Surrounding Light, the Reforming Light that will connect us in mutual guarantee so that we will reveal the Creator, the spiritual world? How can we demand this force so that it will correct us? What is needed in order to do so?

Answer: Three conditions must be met:

1) the greatness of the goal,
2) despair from one’s own powers,
3) connection with all the friends.

Then, all together, we will reach the feeling called “the payer of many” after having done everything we can in order to connect.

The Light comes and reforms us. What does it mean to reform? It means a true request. It is the Surrounding Light that brings us the true request.

Therefore, according to the wisdom of Kabbalah, there is the clarifying Light called the Light of AB-SAG, and there is the correcting Light. Here, too, everything takes part in two phases.

First, we do everything that we can. We hold conventions, work in a group, and try to connect, thus summoning the Light that clarifies where we actually are. It lets us feel the greatness of the goal.

At the same time, it shows us how low we are, in a state where we don’t take even one step toward it. However, these two points, the greatness of the goal and the despair from our own powers, create two poles between which there are ten Sefirot.

Then, the potential between them activates the Light of correction. This state is called “prayer” since, in a prayer, there are the two points, the greatness of the goal and the recognition of our lowliness. This internal cry brings us the Light of correction that connects these two points through the ten Sefirot and presents us with the whole vessel.
[77627]
From the One Convention in New Jersey 5/12/12, Workshop 3

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Questions About Baby Birds, Religions and Kabbalah

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: There is supposed to be a big Mitzva according to the commentaries if somebody takes baby birds from the nest when the mother bird is not there. I researched the subject a little bit more, and the commentaries say that it is because, when the mother bird comes back to the nest and doesn’t find her babies, she screams to Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu, and this draws the attribute of pity (Rahamim) on the entire world.
What does this mean in Kabbalah? There is a nest on the wall of my house with babies, and we see the mother and father running in and out to feed the children. I don’t dare touch them.
Answer: You shouldn’t!!! All this is decided on the spiritual level, not on the material one. There is a huge confusion in performing commandments in the physical world; see Rambam.
Question: If religion is for everyone, why doesn’t it accept people with non-standard orientations?
Answer: People create religions and exploit them. Hence, religions are turned and manipulated as it is convenient.
Question: I grew up as a Christian, and, since three years ago up until now, I have been studying Kabbalah. However, a couple of days ago, a friend of mine who is Jewish told me that Kabbalah was only meant to be studied by Jews, and that, indeed, it was a sinful thing for us non-Jews or gentiles to study Kabbalah, that it opened very dark portals.
However, I feel so comfortable studying Kabbalah. It really helps me find a connection with the Creator. I don’t want to stop practicing the religion of my parents, Christianity.
My question is: Is it possible to still believe in my parents’ religion or at least keep a certain respect for it, and be able to continue on the path of Kabbalah, or is it just something I should definitely do?
Answer: Please continue, and tell your Jewish friend that he doesn’t understand anything in Judaism.
[77142]
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The Mother’s Way

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Is there a difference between man and woman in spirituality?

Answer: No. In each one of us there are two parts: female and male, and with them we advance. However, with respect to the unity in the group, the male and female souls are a little different in their approaches. Women unite according to their strength, whereas men must connect and unite with all their hearts, in the strongest brotherly bonds.

Here, the entire matter is the uniqueness of the soul: The male soul belongs more to GE (Galgalta ve Eynaim) and the female to the AHP (Awzen, Hotem, Peh). But both of these need to attain the most upper level, and along the women’s way, there are no special obstacles.

I very much suggest to and ask the women to worry about the men, push them to unite and connect, stand in a circle surrounding them in order to prevent them from withdrawing. After all the men stay as children all their lives. They don’t have the mechanism of giving birth and worrying about others. He doesn’t change, only grows in size.

On the other hand when a woman becomes a mother, she goes through very serious hormonal changes in one way or another. In her is concealed the same potential, the same longing, the same understanding. Thus she is more connected to life, to nature. She is more logical, more realistic. The ups and downs touch her less than they do a man since her body is used to “swallowing” these blows regularly.

This is the reason that women need to help the men, and this is spoken about a lot in the wisdom of Kabbalah. Without the help of women, the men won’t attain the goal. So take care of them like mothers who cherish their babies.
[77360]
From the Brazil Convention 5/06/12, Lesson 5

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The End Of The Development Of Egoism

Dr. Michael LaitmanWe have always been egoistically pushed forward by nature; we have always followed it blindly; in other words, we were instinctively pushed forward by our desire to keep fulfilling ourselves, and as it kept manifesting in us, we strove towards wealth, fame, power, knowledge—anything at all.

As a result, we have reached certain satiety, and our egoism has come to a dead end; we cannot even say that it keeps growing. On one hand, there is a certain line of reevaluation of our values: “Is it right to continue to strive towards the attainment of fame, knowledge, wealth, and power? Is this the meaning of our development?”

On the other hand, we see that our dependence on each other forces us to introduce some other international economic formulas, which must take our interdependence into consideration, in other words, if I will suffer, you will also suffer, no matter how egoistic it now appears to be. Even today, I still try to build my happiness on the suppression of others, base my power on being stronger than others, and by collecting more.

However, the same Europe is a bright example of how mutual dependence determines everyone’s destinies today, and it is impossible to just disconnect a country from the EU no matter how much one might want for it to happen. Maybe economists do not fully realize this yet. We cannot disconnect from the entire world.

This dependence exists inside actual nature, inside the inner connections between us. And economics, which only represent our external egoistic relations, can no longer keep describing them the same way it did before: what I give to you, what you give to me, a percentage for a percentage, etc. Industry, international trade, and international relations can no longer continue developing the same way.

We must take the integration of the world into consideration. And if we do not correspond to this integration, we will not be able to understand the way we are supposed to advance in accordance with the world and nature. Today we feel nature’s challenge, its pressure on us with the only purpose of making us gradually begin to change ourselves to become like it. This has never happened before.

If we were to look at it from an ontological perspective, we would see that nature has always pushed us towards egoistic development. And now, on the contrary, it is showing us that egoistic development has come to an end; in other words, we have completed our development of the still, vegetative, and animate levels, when we were instinctively pushed forward by nature; this is why this level of human development is called animate.

But now we must begin developing on the “human” level, when we understand and perceive the surrounding world to the point of changing ourselves to suit it. Neither the world nor nature are forcing us to change instinctively, evoking these desires in us, which forced us to build a society, economy, technology, etc.: This no longer exists today.

Obviously, the next stage of our development is when nature shows itself to us in a new, integral way, the way it really is: Everything is interconnected in it and it is just nature alone. But we, being its components, do not correspond to it, and must come to the same integral form in the structure of our society: in politics, economy, finances—in everything.
[77435]
From KabTV’s “Global Crisis – Deficit of Resources” 3/1/12

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Common Forces Against Individual Egoism

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: I have been studying Kabbalah for several years now, and this week I will participate in my first convention. How do I prepare my heart and mind for this event?

Answer: We do not have another place, another source, another possibility to receive the spiritual force. The group and studying, conversations, lectures and dissemination—these things are the daily “prose.” Naturally, it also contributes to our unity, however a convention (Kenes) represents something else, a convocation (Kinus) of hearts.

In spirituality, everything correlates with unity, where we draw our strength. Every day we try to speak about it and realize it, we build intentions, have gatherings of friends and special lessons every week; however, these are not the states where it is really possible to receive a big and powerful force that will push us forward like at a convention.

Malchut of the World of Atzilut is called the “gathering of Israel” (Knesset Israel) because it gathers and unites all our desires directed towards the spiritual goal. Essentially, a convention is the building of Malchut of the World of Atzilut, the creation of a corrected, united spiritual vessel. There is no alternative to this.

And this is primarily why I recommend everyone to participate in the convention and to make sure you do not miss it. A person has no other chance to receive the strength for spiritual advancement.

Moreover, based on experience, we know that conventions are followed by not very pleasant times, periods of descent. You need the convention to stock up on strength and gently pass this descent as if it did not exist. It is as if we were leveling the pressure between two poles. We receive the “plus” by gathering together and giving enormous strength to one another, and every one of us receives the “minus” individually after the convention; this negativity divides and separates us. However, I work with it with the help of the common force, which I have received from everyone else, and in the end I correct it.

I do not have another opportunity to correct my minus, my egoism, my “poison” my “angel of death,” my evil inclination. The only thing I can do is become inspired by the common ascent and use it to correct my personal descent. The same happens at the lessons and gatherings of friends; however, conventions are unprecedented chances to draw strength from friends, correct the private evil in you, unite, and support a unified connection with everyone, trying to bestow to them. Thus we advance.

There have been conventions, which were not really followed by descents. But lately we really started “to fall,” and we now understand that there is nothing artificial here. This is necessary for existence; otherwise, we will die spiritually.

The time has come: All our conventions are intended for collecting strength, which later allows us to correct ourselves. I am not going to have fun and enjoy myself, attend lessons and concerts with my friends. No, I need this unity to immediately following this unity, correct my evil inclination, the forces of separation that awaken in me.

This is why it is so important to go to the convention and also very important to maintain a maximum connection between us after it, trying to feel the fight that we are leading. If, after the convention, full of tension and torn by contradictions, I can still evenly pass this stage, keeping the strength I have received from everyone and maintaining myself in the group, if, when I experience a descent, I rise above it, then the “plus” and the “minus” merge into a single whole: The evil inclination—a big egoistic desire—manifests in me, but a screen—the power of unity, which I have acquired—reigns over it.

Let us hope that this is how we use our conventions.
[77442]
From a Lesson in New Jersey 5/09/12, Shamati #25

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The Builders Of A New Reality

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: If the Creator is revealed between us and not in every person individually, how does each person feel this field of a single force?

Answer: The spiritual is bestowal. Bestowal is something that is revealed outside of every person rather than inside one. Inside of us we can only feel what we feel now: the picture that we call this world.

Therefore, if I wish to reveal something above my corporeal existence, something outside of what happens in my animal body, I need to build a new, different body. This body is called unification between people. Since they also are created from animal bodies, we build a new body between us, which arises between us, and feel our out-of-body reality there. That reality is called the spiritual world or higher reality, since it contains all the forces and qualities, the program of creation, and its goal. Everything is situated there, between us. That field, the upper force, controls us. It’s called Light, Creator, Elokim, and many other names.

Thus we have no choice but to build unity between us. By striving toward this unity, even egoistically, we rouse a certain influence from it onto us and begin to sense it on the degree called Lo Lishma. Then it affects us more and more, and we begin to feel it on the first spiritual degree, and then with greater and greater intensity. The power of our unification determines the power of the Light that Reforms, the sensation of bestowal that is being revealed. However, all of this is revealed between us.

Such is our work. We just need to try to constantly imagine this state in a more authentic and real manner, and adjoin to it everything we know from science, psychology, and the relationships between us. And then you will see how true it is. Suddenly everything will unite.
[77445]
From a Lesson in New Jersey 5/10/12Shamati

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A Real Transition

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: What part of the population needs to participate in integral upbringing in order to change the consciousness of the entire society?

Answer: I think that once 20-30% of the population becomes inspired by the anti-crisis idea—I would even call it the idea of our salvation from a critical state—this would automatically spread to the others and they will also become interested, understand, and comprehend the need to study the integral method. Moreover, as businesses and demand for certain services continue to fall as a consequence of the exhaustion of the population’s material abilities, people will understand that they really need to think about a certain transition.

If there serious explanatory work is being done among the population regarding the crisis, its causes, course, and consequences and the ways to solve it on the regional, city, state, and world scales—people will really listen. This is why, when people will be offered a method of further integral education as a means of exiting the crisis, people will take it rather seriously.

It is necessary to organize interesting discussions, to invite different people with directly opposing views, where they will try to figure things out during the debate.
[77713]
From KabTV’s “Experimental City – Solution to the Crisis” 3/2/12

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Daily Kabbalah Lesson – 05.15.12

Preparation to the Lesson

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Writings of Rabash “Igrot,” Letter 18

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The Book of Zohar — Selected Chapters, “Beresheet (Genesis),”Bet Resheet,” (Starting with: “‘To water,’ means”), Item 342

[media 5] [media 6]

Talmud Eser Sefirot, Part 7

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Introduction to the Study of the Ten Sefirot,” Item 133, Lesson 59

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